A post by Maynard
That’s the report.
Lieberman will deliver a speech when Republicans gather in St. Paul, Minn., to nominate McCain for president, a party official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The official requested anonymity because a formal announcement had yet to be made.
Asked during a visit to Georgia whether he would be speaking at the convention, Lieberman smiled and said: “it’s quite possible, but I’ll let them announce it.”
I guess the announcement has happened. Lieberman’s name indeed appears on the “Country First” Republican press release that Tammy linked to earlier.
If this pans out, it will be strategically significant. With Lieberman on Al Gore’s 2000 ticket against George Bush, his unabashed support of McCain on Republican turf would serve as a sort of psychological “permission slip” for the Democrat heartland to tilt to McCain. Also, as Bush’s erstwhile opponent, Lieberman implicitly refutes the silly but oft-repeated charge the McCain will be George Bush’s third term.
On a personal level, Lieberman is taking a great risk. Right now, the Democrats can’t afford to kick Lieberman out of their caucus, given their razor-thin Senate majority. If the Democrats triumph in the White House and the Senate, they’ll take revenge by relegating him to a place of procedural impotence, and the hard Left will run the show.
On the other hand, a McCain victory would make Lieberman something of a dealmaker and a liaison between a Democrat-controlled Senate and the White House, which would owe him favors. This might result in some awful “compromises” (like the recent amnesty plans). But it would also allow for a greater possibility of pursuit of the national interest rather than the usual partisan squabbling.
Or maybe Lieberman isn’t taking a calculated risk with his political future. Maybe he’s just trying to protect and preserve the nation and do the right thing, without regard to personal consequences. Such things have been known to happen, even in Washington.
For whatever disagreements I have with Lieberman on a number of issues, there is much I do like about him.
First and foremost, he does have a spine – one would have to in order to have taken the heat from his party then stand alone – and win! – as he did. Therefore, I do not believe Lieberman’s appearance to be an entirely calculated move as much as I believe he is also genuinely concerned about this country just as Zell Miller was in 2004. Sure, he has much to lose if Obama wins and he will be challenged if the Senate indeed gains many more seats. But he’s taken risks before and it has served him well – except in 2000 when he DID compromise himself in order to be Gore’s running mate.
One suggestion I would have for the upcoming McCain administration: give Lieberman the post of Secretary of State.